PANAJI
Speaking during the discussion on the Goa GST Bill which was being debated, Kuncalienkar said that the State needs to introspect in which direction it was going.
Siddharth began by saying garbage plants are being opposed, roads are being opposed and coal which was an integral part of power and steel is being opposed. “Everyone uses steel. Mobile towers are being opposed and yet everyone wants to use mobile phones. People are adopting double standards in Goa.”
He said going with the logic of opposition, people of Sanguem should oppose the Selaulim dam because it is affecting them and the people of Dabolim should oppose the airport for causing a lot of noise.
However, the mention of opposition to coal didn’t go down with the BJP’s Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida who along with Cortalim legislator Alina Saldanha were present at the public hearings to voice their concerns against MPT’s projects.
“We have already made our stand clear against pollution. MPT needs to explain itself. Why can’t MPT use existing capacity. There are many questions about the quality of the coal that is being brought in. Indonesian coal that is being brought in is cheap coal,” Almeida told The Goan after emerging from the Assembly.
Asked about Kuncalienkar’s comments where he compared their opposition to several other protests in the state, Almeida said: “It is not correct”.
Almeida said that efforts are on to contain the pollution, but until MPT can prove that it can rein in pollution, no additional coal-handling capacity should be allowed.
Within the house too Siddharth was chided, first by Ponda MLA Ravi Naik who questioned him for speaking about opposition when in fact even the Opposition was supporting the Goa GST legislation.
